Workmen's advocate., 1887-11-12
A BUFFALO VIEW OF IT.

Mir. Georges theory of land taxation is not new. He cannot claim the merit, if there be any merit, of having origin ated it. lt has been indeed applied at the present time in one form or another, but only in countries where the people are half civilized, and which are popu- larIy considered good countries to emi- gratc from. There Is in this taxation crusade suggestion of inspiration, say rather a demonstration of reason run mad, a phase of lunacy. It is an insult to the intelligence of the American me chanc and ariizan to ask him to accept q theory of which the analogue and origin may be found only in Russia and India aa an incident of semi ciyilizationI
 One of the George arguments carries with 1t a condemnation of the George theory. The George men assert in illus tration of the superiority of their idea, that under their scheme ''peoplc with money would no longer invest as now, in city lots or in mining lands and cattle ranches they might perhaps in telegraph lines, seeing that telegraph poles need land priyileges) but they would be limit ed to investments in non taxable posses. sions machinery, ships and other tran sient property.' We may venture to re- mark that the rich owner of floating SC Curties is too free from taxation under our present system, but would not the George system be direct tax on labor and a bar to improvements? lt must be also remembered that the gain to the community from capltallstic investment is not necessarily confined to the land or locality where it has been accumulated. British capital, for instance, is invested wherever returns can be realized. But suppose the capitalist, under the George ian dispenaation, should withdraw from land speculation and invest it in manu- factuing and other productive indus tries, how would that help to a solution of the labor problem, or how would it improve the condition of labor pcrma- nentIy? The greatest good to the great est number i3 the ever-present problem to be so void by the legislators and the statesman Has it yet been made plain | how land taxation can benefit working people employed in factories, mines, mills, etc.t And, until it is, can the practical workingman take any stock in the new venture? Mir. George claims to have discovered that the landlord is the greatest enemy of the workingman. The latter has all along supposed that he had a more bitter and relentless foe in the mine boss, the factory lord and the rail road king. But bless his poor ignorant soul, he has no right to even say who are his real enemies and oppressors We have new gospel. There is but one re- form, and George is it's prophet,
 The George movement reduced to its simplest form means the laying of sin gle tax to cover all the needs of the State, without questioning whether that single tax would or would not be more burden some than distributed tax. We must look at one fact which cannot be disputed. One tax, and that tax on land sweeps away at one stroke all protected indus tries. The Georgeian demand for "one tax involves free trade on merchandise and manufactures. l don't wish to sug- gest that Mir. George is the friend of the foreign manufacturers, but l ask, is the American workman ready for free trade" and unlimited competition with European and Asiatic pauper labor? Gun American system Is ended -'and taxa ton and free trade" is the newest politi- cal cry.--BW0dio Truth.